Hot Topics:

Rep. Lynch: My story will draw voters

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch says the story of his life and his political stands will resonate with voters in the coming U.S. Senate special election.

Lynch, 57, who represents Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District, grew up in South Boston, where he resides today. He was one of six children, and grew up in the Old Colony Housing Project. Lynch entered the political scene in 1994, serving in both the state House of Representatives and Senate before being elected to Congress in a 2001 special election following the death of long-serving U.S. Rep. Joe Moakley. He was an ironworker for 18 years, like his father, and became president of his union at the age of 30. Lynch went on to earn his law degree at Boston College and his master's at Harvard University.

"I know what it's like to stand in the unemployment line in hard times like a lot of them are doing right now," Lynch said in a telephone interview Saturday. I know what it feels like when you're struggling to find the next job, and you've got your family relying on you, and the bills are piling up."

Democrats Lynch and U.S. Rep. Edward Markey are the only announced candidates so far in the race to replace now-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said Saturday through a spokesman he is considering a run. On the Republican side, former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has passed up the race. Richard Tisei, a former congressional and lieutenant governor candidate, said he is thinking about running.

Advertisement

Lynch was laid off when General Motors closed its Framingham plant in the 1980s. When it closed and moved to Mexico, 2,500 jobs were lost at the plant, and further were lost at neighboring businesses those GM employees frequented, he said. He also worked as a welder at General Dynamics in Wellesley, which he also saw close because of offshore competition. Lynch says these experiences have given him a keen interest in working against unfair trade agreements that send jobs overseas. He's part of congressional caucuses for manufacturing and steel, and says he takes special pride in being the only congressman to work in a steel mill.

"We have to bring the jobs back," Lynch said. "We have to make sure we have a strong public education system to produce workers that can fill the jobs in the new economy. We have to create an economic incentive and financial environment that allows companies to come in and succeed. We have to try to resist the urge to just heavily tax these businesses. We have to make sure they can be profitable. They're in competition with other low tax areas. While we certainly have advantages here, we can, by unwise policies, drive some of those jobs away."

He said he has already worked on creating incentives for businesses to locate jobs near rapid transit. Industry can be hurt by high housing costs, because workers -- especially blue-collar -- can't afford to live nearby, he said.

"So rather than lose those jobs that are needed for industry, we try to create a transportation system that would allow companies to relocate in the state but in areas where housing costs are lower," Lynch said, noting some companies that relocated from the Boston area to Brockton, also in his district.

He said he's used his time in Congress to focus on issues that are important to working families, such as "decent pay, fair working conditions, the opportunity to have a pension at end of your life and to make sure Social Security is there when you need it."

Lynch said he has worked hard on behalf of both seniors and veterans. As part of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he's been to Iraq 14 times and Afghanistan nine times, "making sure our sons and daughters in uniform have the resources necessary for them to complete their mission and to come home safely."

Lynch called Markey a friend and said they've worked together for about 10 years. But he said the Democratic rush to back Markey with endorsements and campaign dollars undermines the democratic tradition.

"I know I'll be outspent, but I don't intend to purchase this election. I intend to earn it," Lynch said. "I think that's what the people of Massachusetts expect and that's what they deserve."

He sees the U.S. Senate as being an "exclusive club."

"We've got to shake things up down there. Do you really think it will shake things up by allowing the Democratic establishment in D.C. to pick someone who's been in Washington for 38 years? Do you think Ed Markey is going to be an agent of change?" Lynch said. "I don't think so, but I'll leave it up to the people. If you want change down in Washington, D.C., I think I'm your man."

He says he will stay in Massachusetts and remain accessible to his constituents, so that he can truly bring their thoughts and concerns to the U.S. Senate.

"I think we're in a mess right now, and I think that the democratic system is at risk," he said. "We have a very polarized environment in D.C. We lurch from one crisis to the next."

He believes that part of the problem is the way the primary system works. The Democratic states are sending their most left-wing people to the Senate, and the Republican states are sending their most right-wing people, "then we all sit back and say, 'Why can't these people get along?'" Lynch said.

As a moderate Democrat, he believes he can "bring common sense to the debate."

"This idea that Democrats and Republicans can keep kicking each other in the shins and not pay attention to what really matters to the American people is fatal," Lynch said. "We can't keep doing this."

Lynch said he believes former Gov. Bill Weld would be a formidable opponent if he chose to run.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.